LCHS Welcomes 4 Dogs from South Korean Dog Meat Farm

On Saturday, May 19 around 1:00 am, Andy, Ollie, Kyle, and Stanley ended their travels from South Korea to Tallahassee. They are four of more than 80 dogs rescued from the 11th dog meat farm shut down by Humane Society International (HSI).

The four dogs have been quarantined at a temporary HSI shelter in Canada since arriving from the South Korean farm several weeks ago. Upon their arrival in Tallahassee, they were examined by Dr. Varela of Buck Lake Animal Hospital and each has entered an LCHS foster home where their foster families will help them medically and behaviorally prepare for adoption.

In the past three years, more than 1,300 dogs have been rescued from the deplorable conditions on 11 South Korean farms and brought to freedom in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Last July, LCHS accepted four dogs into its care from the 9th farm shut down; those four dogs (Emily, Lex, Ralphie, and Daphne) have since been adopted into loving homes.

The following was prepared to educate local residents about our decision to help these animals:
Why is the Leon County Humane Society (LCHS) accepting dogs rescued from a South Korean meat farm instead of keeping our mission local?
First, it’s important to understand who LCHS is. We are a private no-kill animal rescue organization that serves North Florida. We are entirely funded by the generosity of our members, donors and local businesses with some grant funding -- we do not receive any city, state or government funding.

Our mission is threefold: to rescue, rehabilitate and educate. While the majority of animals rescued by LCHS will continue coming from local sources like animal shelters, abandoned infants, individual cases of neglect and hoarding and owners with no other option but to rehome their pet, we know that sometimes the animals who need our help the most might be those without access to advocates.

In 2017, LCHS became an Emergency Placement Partner with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), which means if HSUS locates animals in dire need of assistance, we are available to help with rescue, transport, rehabilitation and eventually, rehoming efforts.

Aren't you taking food off of plates of those in S. Korea???

No, with the discovery of the living conditions of dogs in meat farms, the population of S. Korea is increasingly moving away from eating dog meat. Farmers of the 11 dog meat farms now closed down by HSI sought out help in learning a new trade as their income was diminishing. HSI helps these farmers adjust to a new way of living (mostly through crop farming).

What medical condition do these animals arrive in?

Prior to being approved for travel, the four dogs being accepted into the care of LCHS each received an initial health examination by a veterinarian as well as the following vaccinations: rabies, distemper, parvo, and corona.

As with all dogs adopted from LCHS, these four will be spayed or neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, tested for heartworms and intestinal parasites and treated if necessary prior to adoption. After being medically and behaviorally approved, the dogs will be available to the public for adoption. Following their initial examinations by Dr. Varela, we know that 2 of the dogs will require treatment for heartworm disease and all of the dogs will need to put on some weight.

Adoption

As with all LCHS adoptable animals, the adoption process is not first come-first serve; the organization looks for the best fit for the animal. An adoption questionnaire can be completed online. Please be patient with follow up to adoption questionnaires as our fosters play a significant role in the process and we recognize and appreciate that they are all volunteers. The standard dog adoption fee of $250 will apply.